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Gretna Golf Club, Kirtle View, Dumfries & Galloway. (1990 - 2005)

First appeared in the early 1990s, the nine hole course was laid out over 48 acres of former agricultural land. The nine demanding holes covered a total of 6,430 yards with a par of 72. Gareth Dick was the PGA professional who had teaching facilities and driving range. There was a first floor dining room at the clubhouse with views over the Solway Firth estuary to the Scottish and Cumbrian hills.

Hole descriptions;

First - A challenging hole with thick rough on both sides, a deep bunker protected the front left of the green.

Second – A long and difficult par four with Out of Bounds to the left and deep rough and trees on the right of a sloping fairway with OB at the back of the green an accurate approach was essential.

Third – A Challenging par four needing a good shot to find the fairway, again OB at the back of the elevated green.

Four – A par five with two burns requiring an accurate drive the green was in a dip and an accurate approach was needed.

Five – A par four dog leg, do you take a gamble and take out the dog-leg? This hole has no margin for error.

Six – The view of the fairway is obscured by a copse of trees, a tight fairway and OB adds to the difficulty.

Seven – A long par 5 with OB to the left and punishing rough on both sides of the fairway.

Eight – A tricky par four with thick rough protecting the fairway and also a burn to contend with on the way to a green surrounded by bunkers.

Nine – A difficult par three with the wind from the Solway Firth often playing a part in club selection, trees and bunkers are also to be avoided.

Scorecard with differing Stroke Indexes courtesy of Colin Barker.

View of the former course.

In 2005 the owner Martin Birnie stated that the club was no longer financially viable and would probably close in March. In January fifty members turned up at the clubhouse to discuss how they might be able to save the club. Past captain and handicap secretary Steven Burgess said that the threat of closure had come as a complete shock.

Thanks to Dr Douglas Lockhart who visited the site on Monday 26 July 2021 and took the pictures below from the pavement alongside the B721.

The picture below looks directly on to the former course.

The picture below looks across the triangular field (not part of the course) to the boundary hedge and then on to the course. If you look at the Google Map you will see the darker green triangular field between the B721 and the western edge of the course.

Below are pictures taken by Douglas Lockhart on Tuesday 10 August 2021. “The hedgerows have become very overgrown and there are only two places where gaps in the hedgerow provide an opportunity to view the part of the old course on rising ground from Loanwath road up towards the B721.”